Secret Stash and Hackers

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Once again my news feeds were filled with posts warning me not to do something.  I always hunt down sources to these types of posts and found the one below contained some accurate information.  I've been advised not to post any of my Secret Stashes because this could cause my Mafia Wars account to get hacked.  I don't like the sound of that and I don't really like the items I can get from the Secret Stashes so I'm choosing to be on the safe side and not post these.  I don't think I'm the only one because I haven't seen many of them today.

I was determined to get to the bottom of this and asked my friend Arch-Angel Nemesis if the post above was true and if so could he provide an explanation.  Nemesis was nice enough to do so and here is what he posted on my wall.  
"Someone, Somewhere...is posting Secret Stashes, these look real, because they do IN FACT come from the MW Application.
Ok, I understand that so whats the problem...?
This individual, has changed the JS script of those wall posts.  If you're a computer wiz, you would know how this is done.  He/She changes the link that you click on, the little one below/right of the post that says, "get your loot". The script prevents the link of the "PICTURE" of that post from being changed. Its all SAFE by clicking on the picture of this post. Not everyone is exposed, only those on this "hackers" friends list are.  Any one who clicks the "link" on his secret stash posts,enables their FB session cookie to be transferred instantaneously to the "hackers" computer. Mind you, he/she can only then go into your MW account, because they have your facebook session cookie.  If you are logged off, this can not happen. That is why this "hacker" uses the secret stash link to do it. No one can get into the MW app without first being signed on into Facebook.  This game is hosted VIA Social Network Sites.  The only way in is VIA logging into the Social Network.  So, by having your Facebook session cookie, the "hacker" then jumps through, "your hoop" sort of speak, to gain entrance into your account. This is to take all your loot, nothing more, the "hacker" does not want anything else, and does not care about anything else.  ZYNGA is well aware of this, and has known about this issue, because it did happen once already. THIS IS A FACEBOOK ISSUE, NOT ZYNGA's!! Not all problems are ZYNGA's. FaceBook has been working on correcting this issue.

This is what Pete from Team Spockholm posted on the Spockholm Fan Page.  That's good advice to follow if you want your mafia friends to benefit from your Secret Stash.  To see what other Mafia Wars players are saying about this, go to The Spockholm Mafia Tools Fan Page and read the comments following the post below.

"Lots of discussion over posting Secret Stash links and people having access to your account. The potential is there. If you intercept the link before it posts to your wall to save for just close friends you do put yourself in jeopardy. I would encourage letting the link post to your wall, then... copy it, and delete from wall so friends get it./Pete, Team Spockholm

I can't recall a time before Mafia Wars when I worried about hackers.  Ever since I learned that several of my friends accounts had been hacked, it's constantly in the back of my mind.  I don't know much about computers or what hackers do but I have learned simple things I should be doing to prevent myself from becoming a hackers victim.  Some of these things include making a strong password, hiding my Birthday and E-mail address from public view on my Facebook Profile and not clicking on links unless I know where they came from.  Facebook recently added a security feature to our accounts so I have activated that as well.  The following articles found in this blog address various areas of account security (1, 2, 3,4, 5,6,).  I'm sure there is more I could be doing but I'm a simple person when it comes to my computers.  I do fear that one day I won't be able to get into my Mafia Wars Account and it will all be over.  I don't like this feeling and was happy when Zynga implemented the Central Main Frame Access Security Code.  I sleep better at night knowing that if my Facebook account is hacked, I will have a way to get my Mafia Wars account back (assuming, Zynga doesn't remove or destroy this feature).
Joseph Szweda, Technical Editor of The Daily Post has written a good article explaining what a "hack" is all about.  Click HERE to read his article.  


"I think there is a certain misconception of what is and isn't a hacker, what they do exactly, what they're made of, etc. There is a lot of blame on these people, fear mongering, and it's not always justified or completely understood. I also see a very broad and generic perception as to what a hacker is or isn't. So I figured I'd shed some insight on these things."/Joseph Szweda, The Daily Post.